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With the new Amy Winehouse biopic “Back to Black” in U.S. theaters as of May 17, 2024, the late singer’s relationship with alcohol and drugs is under scrutiny again. In July 2011, Winehouse was found dead in her flat in north London from “death by misadventure” at the age of 27. That’s the official British term used for accidental death caused by a voluntary risk.
Her blood alcohol concentration was 0.416%, more than five times the legal intoxication limit in the U.S. – leading her cause of death to be later adjusted to include “alcohol toxicity” following a second coroner’s inquest.
Nearly 13 years later, alcohol consumption and binge drinking remain a major public health crisis, not just in the U.K. but also in the U.S.
Roughly 1 in 5 U.S. adults report binge drinking at least once a week, with an average of seven drinks per binge episode. This is well over the amount of alcohol thought to produce legal intoxication, commonly defined as a blood alcohol concentration over 0.08% – on average, four drinks in two hours for women, five drinks in two hours for men.
Among women, days of “heavy drinking” increased 41% during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with pre-pandemic levels, and adult women in their 30s and 40s are rapidly increasing their rates of binge drinking, with no evidence of these trends slowing down. Despite efforts to comprehend the overall biology of substance use disorders, scientists’ and physicians’ understanding of the relationship between women’s health and binge drinking has lagged behind.
I am a neurobiologist focused on understanding the chemicals and brain regions that underlie addiction to alcohol. I study how neuropeptides – unique signaling molecules in the prefrontal cortex, one of the key brain regions in decision-making, risk-taking and reward – are altered by repeated exposure to binge alcohol consumption in animal models.
My lab focuses on understanding how things like alcohol alter these brain systems before diagnosable addiction, so that we can better inform efforts toward both prevention and treatment.
The biology of addiction
While problematic alcohol consumption has likely occurred as long as alcohol has existed, it wasn’t until 2011 that the American Society of Addiction Medicine recognized substance addiction as a brain disorder – the same year as Winehouse’s death. A diagnosis of an alcohol use disorder is now used over outdated terms such as labeling an individual as an alcoholic or having alcoholism.
Researchers and clinicians have made great strides in understanding how and why drugs – including alcohol, a drug – alter the brain. Often, people consume a drug like alcohol because of the rewarding and positive feelings it creates, such as enjoying drinks with friends or celebrating a milestone with a loved one. But what starts off as manageable consumption of alcohol can quickly devolve into cycles of excessive alcohol consumption followed by drug withdrawal.
While all forms of alcohol consumption come with health risks, binge drinking appears to be particularly dangerous due to how repeated cycling between a high state and a withdrawal state affect the brain. For example, for some people, alcohol use can lead to “hangxiety,” the feeling of anxiety that can accompany a hangover.
Repeated episodes of drinking and drunkenness, coupled with withdrawal, can spiral, leading to relapse and reuse of alcohol. In other words, alcohol use shifts from being rewarding to just trying to prevent feeling bad.
It makes sense. With repeated alcohol use over time, the areas of the brain engaged by alcohol can shift away from those traditionally associated with drug use and reward or pleasure to brain regions more typically engaged during stress and anxiety.
All of these stages of drinking, from the enjoyment of alcohol to withdrawal to the cycles of craving, continuously alter the brain and its communication pathways. Alcohol can affect several dozen neurotransmitters and receptors, making understanding its mechanism of action in the brain complicated.
Work in my lab focuses on understanding how alcohol consumption changes the way neurons within the prefrontal cortex communicate with each other. Neurons are the brain’s key communicator, sending both electrical and chemical signals within the brain and to the rest of your body.
What we’ve found in animal models of binge drinking is that certain subtypes of neurons lose the ability to talk to each other appropriately. In some cases, binge drinking can permanently remodel the brain. Even after a prolonged period of abstinence, conversations between the neurons don’t return to normal.
These changes in the brain can appear even before there are noticeable changes in behavior. This could mean that the neurobiological underpinnings of addiction may take root well before an individual or their loved ones suspect a problem with alcohol.
Researchers like us don’t yet fully understand why some people may be more susceptible to this shift, but it likely has to do with genetic and biological factors, as well as the patterns and circumstances under which alcohol is consumed.
Work in the author’s lab explores how alcohol use can alter the way neurons communicate in the prefrontal cortex brain region. Estrogen receptors are labeled in purple and receptors for somatostatin, a key regulatory hormone, in blue. Victoria Nudell
Women are forgotten
While researchers are increasingly understanding the medley of biological factors that underlie addiction, there’s one population that’s been largely overlooked until now: women.
Women may be more likely than men to have some of the most catastrophic health effects caused by alcohol use, such as liver issues, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Middle-aged women are now at the highest risk for binge drinking compared with other populations.
When women consume even moderate levels of alcohol, their risk for various cancers goes up, including digestive, breast and pancreatic cancer, among other health problems – and even death. So the worsening rates of alcohol use disorder in women prompt the need for a greater focus on women in the research and the search for treatments.
Yet, women have long been underrepresented in biomedical research.
It wasn’t until 1993 that clinical research funded by the National Institutes of Health was required to include women as research subjects. In fact, the NIH did not even require sex as a biological variable to be considered by federally funded researchers until 2016. When women are excluded from biomedical research, it leaves doctors and researchers with an incomplete understanding of health and disease, including alcohol addiction.
There is also increasing evidence that addictive substances can interact with cycling sex hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. For instance, research has shown that when estrogen levels are high, like before ovulation, alcohol might feel more rewarding, which could drive higher levels of binge drinking. Currently, researchers don’t know the full extent of the interaction between these natural biological rhythms or other unique biological factors involved in women’s health and propensity for alcohol addiction.
Adult woman faces away from the camera, holding a glass of white wine in one hand and pressing her left hand against her neck. Middle-aged women are at the highest risk for some of the most severe health consequences of binge drinking.
Looking ahead
Researchers and lawmakers are recognizing the vital need for increased research on women’s health. Major federal investments into women’s health research are a vital step toward developing better prevention and treatment options for women.
While women like Amy Winehouse may have been forced to struggle both privately and publicly with substance use disorders and alcohol, the increasing focus of research on addiction to alcohol and other substances as a brain disorder will open new treatment avenues for those suffering from the consequences.
For more information on alcohol use disorder, causes, prevention and treatments, visit the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Source: TheConversation
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has said she is “devastated” by the behaviour of boys at a Melbourne school who compiled an offensive dossier on female students.
Three male students at Yarra Valley Grammar in Ringwood in Melbourne’s east have been suspended after compiling the highly offensive spreadsheet rating the attractiveness of their female peers.
The students were reprimanded after staff discovered a screenshot of the document.
The school’s principal, Mark Merry, said the spreadsheet used offensive terms and referenced sexual violence.
The spreadsheet used terms such as “Wifey’s” and “cuties” to describe female students and also used the term “unrapable”, he said.
“I’m shocked and outraged really,” Dr Merry told ABC News Breakfast.
“We’re attempting to pick up the pieces now. What has been said can’t be unsaid and now we’re facing the consequences of it here at the school.”
Dr Merry said the use of the term “unrapable” in the spreadsheet was particularly shocking and prompted the school to contact police.
He said police had not yet determined whether they would pursue the matter. The ABC has contacted Victoria Police.
“We see this as a very serious matter. It’s completely counter to everything that we hold dear here at the school,” he said.
“We have lots of students in that year level who are outraged, who feel sad, who feel angry and they’re rallying around to support these young women.”
The school met with students on Monday and also with the parents of the female pupils referenced in the document.
Dr. Merry would not rule out expelling students over the incident. He said the Yarra Valley Grammar School ran courses on gender boundaries and how to behave in respectful relationships.
A father leaving the school on Monday said he had every confidence the administration was handling it appropriately.
“I just feel for all the children, boys and girls,” he said.
“Whether you’re there on this list, not on this list, it affects all girls, even affects some of the boys as well.”
He said he wanted the boys to be expelled but would accept whatever consequences the school imposed.
One mother said the situation made her feel very sad but she did not think the boys should be expelled
“The school is taking responsibility, we are happy about (that).”
Premier brands schoolboys’ actions ‘disgraceful’
Ms. Allan said she was shocked when she learned what had happened at the school.
“The behaviour that’s been reported today at the school in Ringwood is misogynist, it’s disgraceful, it’s disgusting and it’s utterly unacceptable,” she said.
“This pattern of violence against women, not only does the act of violence have to stop but [also] these displays of disrespecting women. It’s just disgraceful.”
Ms Allan said it was up to the school to decide whether further action would be taken against the students involved.
“My thoughts today are with the young women and the young men who they go to school with who are absolutely devastated by this news,” she said.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said the school was handling the incident appropriately.
“It is disgusting and appalling. I’m glad the students have been suspended,” he told Channel Nine.
“I also understand the female students are receiving counselling from the school. That’s what I would expect the school to do.”
Consent activist urges community to take such acts seriously
Sexual consent activist Chanel Contos said such behaviour was commonplace in schools.
“If this is shocking news to anyone … they’re not paying attention,” she said.
“This notion of ranking women and objectifying girls is new to absolutely no-one.”
Ms Contos said such behaviour contributed to a culture where women were positioned as subordinate and objectified by male peers.
“We really need to take these acts seriously. Because these small acts relate directly to the rallies and protests that we had in Australia last week,” she said.
“We really need to look at what sort of messages young men are receiving from various sources that makes them think that that is an okay way to act.”
Rise in misogyny linked to popularity of social media figures, expert says
Stephanie Wescott, a feminist researcher and lecturer at Monash University’s School of Education, Culture and Society, said she had observed a rise in sexism in Australian schools in recent years.
She said her team recently spoke to 30 female teachers who reported a level of sexism, misogyny and sexual harassment in they had never seen before.
Dr Wescott said that since COVID lockdowns there had been a rise in popularity of social media figures such as Andrew Tate.
“There just seems to be a more brazen and entitled way that boys are expressing these attitudes and behaviours in recent times,” she said.
“There was a very specific shift in the behaviour and attitudes towards women and girls, and that shift was noticeably linked to particular content the boys were viewing online.”
Dr Wescott said she supported the use of the Federal Government’s funding to fight gender-based violence for counter-influence programs, and called on schools to run respectful relationships programs as a whole-of-school intervention.
“We need a zero-tolerance approach to violence against women and girls in schools and we really need the government to come out very strongly otherwise these kinds of behaviors, they’re just not going away because our response isn’t strong enough,” she said.
Source: ABC News
New data has debunked a “myth” that the gender pay gap exists on account of occupation choice, revealing the majority of Australia’s national gender pay gap is due to women being paid less than men within the same occupation.
e61 Institute, a non-partisan economic research institute led by former Productivity Commissioner Michael Brennan, conducted analysis of tax data exploring the origins of the gender pay gap, which according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics is 12 per cent.
Whilst some argue the gender pay gap derives from women choosing lower-paying jobs, such as nursing, teaching and early childhood care, researchers at the e61 Institute this factor accounts for only 20 per cent of the gender pay gap.
Indeed, the organization’s research found that the remaining 80 per cent is due to men being paid more than women in the same occupation.
Silvia Griselda, the research manager at e61 Institute, said the new data “busts the outdated myth that the gender pay gap exists because more women are nurses, carers and administrators and while more men are lawyers, bankers, and pilots”.
“What the data shows is that most of the gender pay gap is because women are paid less than men within the same occupation,” Griselda said.
“Policies and action, by companies and governments, to increase female representation in high-paying occupations are very important but unlikely to significantly narrow the gender wage gap on their own.”
The researchers, led by Griselda, noted that factors like job tenure, full-time status and education level are “actually quite insignificant” when it comes to identifying the causes of the gender pay gap in Australia.
“When we compare men and women with similar age, employment and marital status, number of children and academic ability, working in the same occupation, women have an hourly wage that is 15 per cent less than men’s,” Griselda said.
However, the researchers found that wages of women who were married and who had children were impacted on a much larger scale than men’s wages.
“The factor that does seem to drive the gap wider is personal – being married and having dependent children imposes a penalty on how much women earn compared to men,” Griselda said.
“This penalty exists for women but not for men.”
What’s going on?
Unequal pay for men and women is illegal in Australia: since 1969, Australian legislation has safeguarded the right to equal pay.
But e61 Institute’s research is showing women who work the same occupation as men are not earning as much.
Elyse Dwyer, a research economist at e61 Institute, said there are two potential reasons for this pay disparity: it could be the type of firms that men and women work for, as well as leadership opportunities available for women.
“Men may be more likely to work in high-paying firms, which require less flexibility and longer working hours. e61 Institute is currently undertaking research to understand this,” Dwyer said.
“Another potential reason is that women may be less able to pursue leadership opportunities or high-paying but demanding specialties within the same occupation.”
What’s the solution?
To close the gender pay gap, e61 Institute conclude companies must foster an inclusive environment for their employees, including encouraging all employees “regardless of gender” to take on care responsibilities outside of work.
“This could include being more flexible as to when or where work tasks are completed, encouraging job-sharing in leadership positions and diversifying hiring practices,” Elyse Dwyer said.
“Simply focusing on encouraging women into higher-paying occupations, such as pilots or lawyers, will not be enough to end the pay gap. The bulk of the gains will more likely come from improved workplace flexibility that allows more women to take on higher-paying positions.”
Source: Women’s Agenda
Australians are more likely to have partners who don’t share their political views than 25 years ago
Australian men and women are both becoming more progressive across generations, my recent research shows. But young women are more left-leaning than young men—so there is a gender gap, reflecting a global trend.
Due in large part to social media, young women in particular are speaking out about their negative experiences taking these drugs. A recent piece in the Washington Post accused these women of spreading “misinformation” and “misleading…a vulnerable demographic.”
It even went so far as to disregard one woman’s lived negative experience with hormonal birth control simply because she “is not a licensed medical specialist.” In contrast, the authors prominently feature a male OB/GYN and reproductive rights advocate’s favorable opinion on birth control.
Throughout his comments, he generally dismisses the experiences of women who’ve decided to discontinue its use. It seems women’s voices matter until they begin to question the mainstream narrative on reproductive health care.
The overwhelming backlash to the article, especially on social media and among younger women, speaks volumes. The Washington Post limited comments on its Instagram post due to the flood of moving personal stories from women challenging the piece.
While the cultural shift on hormonal birth control may be a recent phenomenon, the harms and dangers associated with these drugs have been known for years.
In 2019, a citizen petition to the Food and Drug Administration argued that the drugs should include black box warnings, which are prominently displayed lists of adverse risks and side effects on the labeling. The petition identified a laundry list of possible risks: breast cancer, cervical cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, depression, and venous thrombosis and cardiovascular events.
Even the Washington Post article admitted medical professionals are worried about the industry’s “long-standing lack of transparency about some of the serious but rare side effects.”
But the risks and side effects of hormonal birth control aren’t as “rare” as they’re made out to be. Both the mental health effects and breast and cervical cancer risks associated with hormonal birth control use are much more prevalent than most users likely realize—and because both the brains and breasts of adolescent girls are in a significant period of development, the risks are significantly higher for teens placed on birth control. Indeed, according to the National Institutes of Health, hormonal birth control use increases the risk breast cancer by 20 percent.
One Clemson University researcher found that, due to misleading risk communication from pharmaceutical companies, many women mistakenly assume they are not at risk for blood clots from birth control use unless they smoke or are overweight. In reality, between 300 and 400 women of all shapes and sizes, smoking and non-smoking, die every year from blood clots caused by birth control.
While many of the women sharing their experiences with birth control online have not experienced a cancer diagnosis or blood clot, they have suffered other negative consequences. Taking birth control from an early age medically suppresses a woman’s natural cycles for decades.
The tendency of medical professionals to over-prescribe birth control because of acne, irregular periods, or other reasons masks serious reproductive conditions like endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, adenomyosis, and fibroids.
These concerns about the harms of hormonal birth control are compounded by the FDA‘s recent approval of Opill, an over-the-counter, progestin-only oral contraceptive. Now that the product has finally hit American pharmacy shelves, there is little to stop women and girls across the country from obtaining these risky drugs without a doctor or parent to advise them.
They will be able to purchase and take the pill without any information—other than a huge package insert with tiny print that most ignore—about the very real and serious side effects of their birth control. Once again, the medical profession has sacrificed women’s health at the altar of a quick-fix medication.
To be clear, the trend of women speaking up about the harms of birth control on social media is not about banning hormonal birth control. It is simply about promoting women’s health and the right of women to make informed decisions. Too many in the media and in medicine treat women who dare to speak out and share their negative experiences with derision.
Women who’ve suffered on birth control have been gaslighted enough as it is. They should be believed and met with applause for sharing their experiences with these widely prescribed and risky drugs. That is the approach to reproductive health women deserve.
Natalie Dodson is a Policy Analyst with the Ethics and Public Policy Center’s HHS Accountability Project. Grace Emily Stark holds an M.A. in Bioethics & Health Policy from Loyola Chicago and is the Editor-in-Chief of Natural Womanhood, “The Magazine of Fertility Awareness and Women’s Health.”
Source: News Week
Saudi Arabia is rebranding. Since 2016, when it first announced plans to diversify its economy, it has poured billions into making the kingdom appear more progressive to outsiders. Women can now drive and work in jobs they were previously banned from. Vast sums are being invested in futuristic, architectural “gigaprojects”, such as the Line – a sprawling, desert supercity – to attract global tourism.
And yet, inside the kingdom, its citizens tell a very different story. Against a backdrop of image-building projects, thousands of Saudi citizens, according to some reports, could be being blocked by the state from leaving the country with arbitrary and illegal travel bans. Their crime? Advocating for basic human rights.
Among them is my sister, Loujain al-Hathloul. Loujain is a prominent Saudi women’s rights defender who led the campaign against the ban on women driving and tirelessly campaigned for the abolition of the male guardianship system.
Loujain’s brave and outspoken activism was met with repression by the Saudi authorities. In March 2018, she was abducted from the streets of the United Arab Emirates and forcibly brought back to Saudi Arabia. Once on Saudi soil, she was placed under an illegal travel ban and forbidden from leaving the country – only to be arrested arbitrarily a few months later. Her charges explicitly mentioned her human rights work, and my sister was tried under counter-terrorism legislation in the specialized criminal court (SCC), routinely used as a tool to muzzle civil society. Loujain was released from prison in February 2021 under strict conditions, including being barred from leaving the kingdom. Her travel ban was supposed to end, after nearly three years, on 13 November 2023. Yet, in February of this year, well after the expiry of the ban, Loujain was told that she remains under a permanent travel ban with no expiry date. The authorities have never provided any justification, and continue to ignore our inquiries.
This is the case not just for Loujain, but for our entire remaining family in Saudi Arabia, who found out in 2018 that they too were prohibited from travelling, without reference to any judicial ruling – and have been unable to resolve the issue since. These blatant violations of the right to freedom of movement are in direct contradiction of international law as well as Saudi Arabia’s own legal framework.
Living in Saudi Arabia under a travel ban is to live in a constant state of fear, as we know the modus operandi of the authorities. Usually, as was the case with Loujain, the kingdom bans someone from leaving and then, later, they arrest them.
I live in Brussels, and I haven’t seen my family in more than six years. Every day, when I wake up in the morning, I have to check whether my family is still safe. I miss them and wish I could have the opportunity, like everyone else, to go back to Saudi Arabia to see them. But I know I would be trapped there too if I were to go back.
My family’s story is one of many. Maryam al-Otaibi, another courageous women’s rights activist, has also experienced imprisonment and repression. She was placed under an illegal travel ban in 2019. When she denounced her treatment on social media, she was summoned by police and charged for speaking out about her ordeal. She was sentenced to four months in prison and fined 100,000 riyals (£21,300).
This is a systemic issue that will not go away by itself. Despite outward shows that the kingdom is becoming more progressive, the Saudi authorities routinely employ arbitrary travel bans as a tool of repression. As a result, individuals are deterred from engaging in human rights work for their own safety and that of their relatives.
Since such travel bans lack legal basis, there is no way to formally appeal them. Those affected are not notified and only find out about the restrictions when attempting to travel outside the kingdom. They are unable to pursue their personal goals or visit family members abroad.
As Saudi Arabia seeks to rebrand itself on the world stage as an increasingly moderate power, we must not ignore the glaring hypocrisy of the government promoting tourism while denying its own citizens the fundamental right to freedom of movement. The international community must hold Saudi Arabia to account for its egregious human rights violations – and not let sportswashing and celebrity partnerships distract from what life is truly like for the kingdom’s citizens.
It is high time for Saudi Arabia to open itself up not only to tourists but also to the voices of its own people. Until then, the facade of glittering progress will remain just that, masking a harsh reality of repression and injustice.
Lina al-Hathloul is head of monitoring and advocacy at ALQST for Human Rights. She is co-author of the book Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers. Foz al-Otaibi, who also contributed to this article, is a social media influencer and a women’s rights activist who was indicted by the Saudi government for her social media activity and is now living in exile.
Source: Guardian
A study, funded by Cancer Research UK and published in BMC Medicine, found that the proportion of women aged 18-45 from higher socioeconomic backgrounds who smoked rose from 12 per cent to 15 per cent between 2013 and 2023. This was despite the overall smoking rates seeing a decline.
Women of the same age from less advantaged backgrounds, however, were found to have a decrease in smoking rates, from 29 per cent to 22 per cent. Smoking rates among men among all backgrounds remained stable.
There were also substantial increases in the proportion of women of reproductive age who vape, as well as a shift from using manufactured to hand-rolled cigarettes among those who smoke (41 per cent to 61 per cent). The report noted that financial pressures hitting young women harder could be the cause of this, as this population experienced higher rates of job loss during the pandemic and a greater load of housework and childcare.
Considering that tobacco smoking affects women’s fertility and is associated with substantial risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes, the UK study set out to explore socioeconomic trends, use of non-combustible nicotine products and quitting activity among women of reproductive age in England.
While there’s good evidence compiled on the prevalence of smoking in adult populations already, the study notes that less is known about women of reproductive age specifically.
“Understanding patterns of smoking, levels of dependence, and quitting activity in this target group and how they are changing over time can inform the development of interventions and targeting of resources,” the researchers said.
Smoking in Australia
The latest estimates of prevalence of smoking among people in Australia shows the use of electronic cigarettes and vapes has increased markedly in the last 10 years. It nearly tripled between 2019 (2.5 per cent) and 2022-2023 (7 per cent).
While there were fewer people smoking tobacco daily in 2022-2023 than ever before, at just 8.3 per cent, around half of young people aged 18 to 24 (49 per cent) had used e-cigarettes and vapes in their lifetime in 2022-2023, and one in 4 people aged 14 to 17 (28 per cent) had as well.
Use of e-cigarettes is also highest in areas with the most socioeconomic advantage.
There was a significant increase in the age in which younger females first smoked a full cigarette between 2016 (16.0 years) and 2019 (16.6 years), according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
From 2022-2023, five per cent of females aged 18-24 reported smoking cigarettes daily. That proportion increased to 8.3 per cent when asked if these females were current smokers, in general.
In Australia, tobacco use is the leading cause of cancer, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. And it’s responsible for more deaths in the country than alcohol and illicit drugs combined.
Source: Women’s Agenda
A research, now published under the title “Investigating the ambitions of young women to run for national parliament: the case of Australia” in the Australian Journal of Political Science, found that for many young women the appeal of becoming an MP was significantly curtailed by beliefs that the institution maintains stereotypical gender norms as well as a masculine, misogynistic culture. Many women were also more likely to doubt their ability to participate in politics than their male counterparts.
Dr. Zareh Ghazaryan, Head of Politics and International Relations at Monash University, said gender-based inequality of opportunity is diminishing the political ambition of young women.
“Our research shows that young women feel parliament is not a place for them. Social constraints, sexism and toxic parliamentary culture is contributing to entrenched gender disparity,” Dr. Ghazaryan said.
The research used data from the Our Lives longitudinal research study that follows a large cohort of young Queenslanders from adolescence into adulthood. The cohort of 28- to 29-year-olds were interviewed in the weeks prior to the May 2022 election. Of the 47 participants, 27 were female and 20 were male.
The interviews focused on participants’ views on Australian politics as well as their thoughts on women’s representation. The interviews also explored the ambitions of young people to be active in Australian politics.
With misogyny and gender-based violence prominent issues in the lead up to the 2022 election, participants were deeply concerned about how safe the national parliamentary workplace was, particularly for women. Recent allegations of sexual misconduct in parliament was the issue that most concerned women and had a significant impact on their political ambition.
While the research found participants were critical of the status quo, there was a concerning degree of acquiescence about the situation. Participants were reluctant to stand up to, and tackle, the issues from within. Instead, they preferred to avoid such a toxic environment altogether.
“This highlights a deeply unhealthy element in Australian politics whereby individuals, especially women, are choosing not to participate in democratic processes. It is critical that greater efforts be made to advance the political ambitions of women to stand for election to the Australian Parliament,” Dr. Ghazaryan said.
The research concluded that greater efforts be made to advance the political ambitions of women to stand for election to the Australian Parliament.
This may be done through building the confidence and opportunities for women to participate, while changing broader attitudes to the role of women in politics. Recommendations included targeted school-based education programs, as well as advocacy projects that empower young people, particularly women, to engage with, and participate in, politics from an early age.
“Without addressing these entrenched issues, women’s political under representation and an exclusionary masculine culture will continue to mar young people’s political ambitions and the practical operation of Australia’s liberal democracy.”
Provided by Monash University
From forced kisses to power imbalances, research suggests violence against women in sport is endemic
Former Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales may face significant consequences for his non-consensual kiss of Spanish soccer star Jenni Hermosa.
But this is not the norm for perpetrators of gender-based violence in sport. Our research—which reviewed 25 years of studies examining women’s experiences of gender-based violence in sport—found perpetrators are rarely held to account.
More commonly, they are free to continue abusing victims with impunity.
Even after millions of people watched Rubiales’ actions, it was obvious that Hermosa’s experience was minimized, that powerful organizations attempted to coerce her into stating it was consensual, and that it took the collective voices of women standing with Hermosa to fight back with a resounding “no.”
The shocking reality of gender-based violence in sport
Women’s sport is championed as a platform for empowerment and equality but previous studies have shown gender-based violence is highly prevalent, ranging from 26 to 75% across psychological, physical and sexual violence, depending on how the violence has been defined and measured.
There have been many historical and contemporary cases of abuse, bringing to light some of the concerns about how perpetrators were able to continue their abuse for so long.
Our research systematically gathered and analyzed the collective voices of women who experienced gender-based violence in sport to understand their experiences better and to inform future prevention and response initiatives. Participants included current and former athletes, coaches, umpires and managers.
The research found women in sport experience multiple types of violence (sexual, physical, psychological, financial), often by more than one perpetrator. Coaches or other authority figures are the most common perpetrators, followed by male athletes or members of the public.
We found a “normalization” of these violent behaviors in the sporting context; they were seen as expected and were routinely excused in order to get results.
Beware of ‘sporting family violence’
When women do speak up and complain, our research highlighted that organizational responses are impotent at best, actively malevolent and cruel at worst.
Complaints often go nowhere, codes of conduct may not exist, and there is a strong lack of confidentiality because “everyone knows everyone.”
In some cases, women were mocked and told they’d imagined the abuse, a deliberate strategy by the organization to put “success” and “winning” before the safety of women.
Instead, women are left to do their own safety work by avoiding the perpetrator(s) or leaving the sport entirely.
Justice is sometimes only achieved when women act as a group to voice their experiences and confront abusers.
Importantly, our research found the unique context of sport as an extended or surrogate family created the conditions for “sporting family violence.”
Athletes spend significant time within the sporting family unit, creating close relationships with their coach, other authority figures and teammates.
The coach as a father figure
The coach as a father figure was a consistent theme across several studies, with some athletes stating the coach knew more about them than their parents.
If a coach was regarded as “the best,” often no one questioned him. This gave coaches enormous power, which they used to isolate women they abused from both the sport family and their actual family, exerting coercive control to maintain an environment of secrecy and dominance.
Finally, our research found women are still seen as inferior to men and treated as “other” in the sporting context. Consequently, there is a hostility to women, who are perceived as a threat to the hegemonic masculinity of sport.
This was a particularly strong theme in non-traditional female sports such as judo and boxing, and for women in management or official roles.
Power is a key factor running through all our findings, and while women may be able to exercise some power through collective resistance, power often remains with men and sports institutions that are complicit.
Initiatives to address gender-based violence in sport must recognize the many forms of violence women experience, and the different ways in which power and violence play out.
Some positive signs, but much more is needed
There are some positive signs of change. A recent report into the culture of abuse in swimming in Australia made several recommendations that are now being actioned.
And in the UK, laws that prohibit coaches from having relationships with players are being developed and acted upon.
Also, several collective survivor advocacy groups have been established, such as The Army of Survivors, Sport and Rights Alliance and Gymnasts for Change.
Of course, this still shows the extent of the collective voice needed to push for change.
While we applaud this and the reckoning of Rubiales’ actions, and cheer for the collective voice standing with women like Jenni Hermosa, it would be negligent to forget the many silenced women’s voices in sport who bear the brunt of violence within a space often considered their family.
Source: The Conversation